


Die Hoffnung ist nicht verloren

by apokrypha



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Kidnapping, Spoilers, maybe slow burn...maybe not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-18 11:18:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14851736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apokrypha/pseuds/apokrypha
Summary: Mila is a young woman living in the Underground, just trying to make it another day. Once she learns her brother has been drafted into the Survey Corps, she enlists, hoping to see him again, and make enough money for her family to survive. She soon learns she's in for so much more than fighting Titans...including falling in love with her brother's best friend.





	1. Unter Tage

**Author's Note:**

> "Und die Wellen weinen leise  
> In ihrem Herzen steckt ein Speer  
> Bluten sich am Ufer leer." -"Reise, Reise" Rammstein (1)
> 
> I'm trying my best to make this character interesting and not a Mary Sue. I got the idea for this while watching AoT with my little brother, and re-watching/re-reading A Choice With No Regrets. Levi still after all this time is one of my favorite characters ever, and while I don't ship him with anyone other than Petra, I wanted to do something different. Sorry if there is some OOC...trying to keep them in character as best I can. I also REALLYYY love Farlan too, and I feel like there was far too little of him, and Isabel is adorable... but yeah.... T_T
> 
> I'm using stuff from the anime and the manga, though they are a little different.
> 
> Also, I get really demotivated easy so if you would kudos, comment or/and bookmark that would be GREAT! Gives me the motivation to continue! At least 40 chapters are planned...most likely more!

The young woman ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Maybe stealing a piece of bread wasn’t her best idea ever...but she was hungry. She had four men on her tail, screaming obscenities as they tried to catch up. Growing up poor in the Underground was difficult. They didn’t have much money for food, given most of the money her older brother, Farlan, gave went toward their sisters medicine.

“Goddammit, where’s the MP when you need them?” She heard one of the men yell. Her stomach growled loudly.

If she could only get to her brother, he would scare them off. Her brother was tough. He used to be a gang leader, but runs with a different crowd now. She turned down an alleyway, almost falling down. That was close...almost there.

Running up the short stairway to where her brother was living, she slammed the door open, looking for a spot to hide.

“Mila?” A voice asked. Yes! Her brother was home. “What’s going on?”

She hid behind the tall, blond man. Given she was much shorter than him, standing at five feet tall, it was easier for her to hide. The young man stood protectively in front of her.

“Where’s that stupid bitch?!” Both of them heard one of the men say.

“Oh...there she is! In that house.” Another one replied. Her heart started to race harder than it already was as the angry man started to ascend the stairs, and walk through the door. As soon as he passed the threshold of the door, she her a sharp noise, and the man scream. He was bleeding. When did that happen? She thought.

“Did I give you permission to enter our residence?” She saw a short, raven haired man stepped from behind the door, holding a knife with blood dripping from it. He was so fast. It was almost inhuman.

“Levi.” The woman whispered under her breath.

“It’s them!” Another man exclaimed, fear in his voice. “The ones who fly around the city with military gear.”

Her brother, and his friend has developed a reputation around the Underground for using 3DM gear. They were a tough bunch...especially Levi. He had an even scarier reputation. He was the toughest in the underground!

“Fine! Let the bitch keep the bread.” The four men gave up without any more of a fight. “Just wait...”

“Tsk.” Levi said, as he pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his knife down. “Asshole...”

She watched Levi clean the blade in a precise manner. He was so anal retentive, and it showed in everything he did.

“You okay, kid?” He asked, eyes never leaving his blade.

“I’m fine, Levi.” She said, stepping from behind her sibling. “Just tired from running.”

The blond finally turned to her, concern on his face. “Mila, what was that about?”

“I got hungry.” She stated matter-of-factually. Mila slid a piece of bread from her sleeve. “I was on my way to see you, and Levi, when I got hungry, and grabbed a piece of bread. I guess those men saw me. I thought I was being careful though...”

“Sis, you really have to be careful. I know you are an adult, and I know we steal, and all, but we know what we are doing.” Farlan replied, scolding his sister. “If you are hungry, let me know, and I’ll get something for you.”

“You’re right...I’m sorry.” Mila said as she took a bite of the bread. It was mediocre bread for what all she has just gone through, but food was food.

“You’re lucky we just got back from a mission.” Levi said, in a monotone.

“Oh! How much did you guys get?!” Mila exclaimed.

“Enough to get Sophie’s meds, and a few food items.” Fulan replied. He hadn't told his siblings he keeps some of the money to save up for citizenship one the surface for the four of them.

“Yes!”

Furlan sat down on the small couch they had in the living room. Mila followed, and sat down beside him. “So how is Elias and Sophie?”

“Elias is fine. Just helping take care of Sophie. We might have to increase the dosage of her medicine...but you know how expensive it is...” She sighed. Due to lack of vitamins from the sun in the underground, there was a lot of people whose legs were going bad, their little sister included. "I'm worried she's...going to end up just like mom."

Mila's eyes started to tear up. Their mother used to own a clinic in the area, taking care of patients until she succumbed to her own illness. Sophie was so young when she passed. Mila wished she was here to to tell her what to do. She had taught her children the basics of medicine, but there was only so much that could be done.

Farlan placed his hand on his sisters. "Everything will be okay..."

He wasn't sure if it would be, but he had to keep the hope alive. There was a pregnant silence. 

"I would suggest teaching her to defend herself." Levi said, placing his switchblade back into his pocket. "Those fuckers seemed really angry over just a piece of bread. We aren't always going to be here to defend her."

The blond nodded. He was right. He looked to his sister. " What do you think?" 

Mila played with the hem of her dress obviously nervous. She has never faught before, and had a tendency to be clumsy. Her brother always had her back so it was something she really didn't worry about. " If you think so...I'll do it."

"Okay. We will start tomorrow. " Farlan stood up, handing Mila the money she had came for. " Come over around lunch, and we will discuss a training session."

"Tsk." Both siblings looked over to their somber friend. " She needs to learn to clean before that...she tracked mud into the house."

Mila rubbed her head awkwardly. "Hehe. Oops. I'll get right on that."


	2. Lektionen Kampf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! I'm flipping my shit about Devil May Cry 5. Anywho, this one is going to be short because i didn't want to get pedantic and long winded with it.
> 
> Btw, Levi is around 25. Mila is around 19.
> 
> I based the martial arts on what I remember when I took years ago, internet research, and the fact that most of my guy friends are in the military and know this shit. Lolol
> 
> (Basing it on Krav Maga btw)

Mila sighed deeply. She had been up all night mopping, and cleaning the mud she had tracked in, Levi hovering over her making sure it was clean enough. She was exhausted. Now she was to start her self defense training. She adjusted the pants she had on. She didn't wear pants as much as she did her dresses so it was a somewhat foreign feeling to her.

"Ready Mila?" Farlan said sitting down on the ground, making himself comfortable by leaning back onto a rock.

The woman was confused. "Wait...whose teaching me then?"

"Tsk." Levi said, nonchalantly. "I am."

"You know Levi is the best. " Farlan told his sister. "I wouldn't trust anyone more to teach you...so I'm just going to sit back, and observe."

Mila nodded, as she looked toward Levi, waiting on her first instruction.

"Okay, kid. Show me your best fighting stance." The dark haired man said, stepping closer to her.

Mila readied herself into her stance, but was quickly taken out by the back her knee by Levi. She collapsed to the ground. "Shit!"

"You need to have a strong stance so someone can't take you out as easy as I just did." Levi told her. "Now stand back up."

She quickly got back up to her feet, dusting off her pants. She had a feeling she was going to be meeting the ground a lot more. Farlan watched on. It was hard for him to watch his little sister, basically get her ass handed to her, but he knew it was something that needed to be done.

Levi spoke. "Always keep your eyes on your opponent...you are going to want to go for parts of the body you can't strengthen. Eyes, ears, nose, jaw, groin, even the knees and ankles, as I just did."

Mila nodded. It made sense.

"Now get back into your stance. I'm going to show you a sturdy stance."

The young woman returned to her stance, Levi walking up behind her to correct it. A light blush came across her face as she felt his hand brush down her leg to move her feet. He then stood up to move her arms in the correct position. It felt awkward to her, but if Levi said this was the most defensive stance she believed him. He knew what he was talking about.

"At least you damn listen...Now close your hand into a fist, thumb on the outside." He placed her thumb over her pointer and middle finger. "You don't want to break your hand. Aim with your first two knuckles, those are the strongest, and use your body to power the punch."

Levi demonstrated, twisting at the hip to propel his fist. "Like that."

Mila copied his movements slowly, watching to make sure she had it correctly. He wasn't criticizing her, just watching, so she guessed she had done it correctly. 

She looked to her brother, with excitement, to only see he had fallen asleep. Of course, he gets to sleep. She thought. 

"Now try punching with your non-dominant arm. You will have to learn with both to be an efficient fighter." Levi said, observing her form once again.

She repetitively punched at the air. Slowly getting used to the feeling of both arms being used.

Levi sighed. "You have the form down...we will have to work on your strength though."

"You mean like push-ups?" She asked.

He scoffed. "There is more exercises than that."

She knew that. She wasn't stupid. Mila frowned slightly.

"This right here." Levi moved her left arm to a slight angle. " Will help prevent if someone is coming at you with something like a knife. Use your other hand to punch the bastard in the face."

She did was she was told. Levi threw a mock slap at her to demonstrate, while she threw a mock punch in retaliation.

They practiced this a for a while before adding walking movements to it. "You aren't going to want to be at a standstill in a fist fight." Levi had said.

The young man got into his stance. "I want you to throw an actual hit at me. Show you how it will actually look. I won't hit you, though, your enemies won't show you as much mercy."

"But what if I hurt you!" She replied, her voice going up a few levels in concern.

He stood still making eye contact with her. He always looked like he could see into her soul. "You won't."

Mila took a deep breath. She was nervous as hell. Remembering what Levi had told her, she threw her strength into a punch.

Levi quickly blocked her fist like it was second nature, his fist stopping mere centimeters from her face.

Her eyes widened. He was so close. She swallowed the knot in her throat.

"Like that." Levi said, returning to his original stance.

"Now you try." 

Mila quickly mimicked Levi's actions.

"Good. You might not be useless after all." Levi said, his expression never changing.

"Oh thanks." Mila replied. Today was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember I love kudos and comments :3 Even constructive ones as long as you aren't an ass about it .

**Author's Note:**

> I made a playlist that I am listening to while writing this(It's LOONNGGG). I always find things like that interesting. I'm big on listening to music when I right to get inspired. Might not be the type of music you listen to, or you might find a new artist to like! This music should help you get a feel for where I am going with this story.
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/sclassmage/playlist/1q1809y0Jcho0X9HNbheLV?si=8ARWG1uVSACsvN_STLEb8g
> 
>  
> 
> I'm pretty sure the lack of vitamin D in the Underground makes people sick. That's why everyone is getting hypovitaminosis D and rickets down there.
> 
> 1: English: "And the waves cry softly  
> In their heart a spear is lodged  
> They bleed themselves dry on the shore"


End file.
